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West Point Dean And Math Professor Discuss Data Literacy For The Army

By Maj. Renee Sanjuan, USMA Associate Dean for CommunicationsSeptember 11, 2023

BG Shane Reeves, Dean of the Academic Board USMA, sits down with COL Nicholas Clark (Associate Professor - USMA Department of Mathematical Sciences) for the Dean's Spotlight Podcast Series. West Point, NY, May 01, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Kyle...
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BG Shane Reeves, Dean of the Academic Board USMA, sits down with COL Nicholas Clark (Associate Professor - USMA Department of Mathematical Sciences) for the Dean's Spotlight Podcast Series. West Point, NY, May 01, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Kyle Osterhoudt, USMA) (Photo Credit: (U.S. Army Photo by Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA)) VIEW ORIGINAL
NSF Awardees - Math: COL Nicholas Clark and LTC Andrew Lee (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA)
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – NSF Awardees - Math: COL Nicholas Clark and LTC Andrew Lee (U.S. Army photo by Christopher Hennen, USMA) (Photo Credit: (U.S. Army Photo by Christopher Hennen/USMA)) VIEW ORIGINAL
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

“Data literacy is the idea that before officers or soldiers get out and interact with data, they have best practices to help enable the larger data workforce to do their jobs.” – Colonel Nicholas Clark, Academy Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy.

Tune in to the newest episode of the Inside West Point: Ideas That Impact podcast at https://bit.ly/InsideWP.

During this episode, “Decoding Data Literacy,” Clark and Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves discuss the importance of a data-informed Army and how to build data literacy.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

  1. How did Clark develop the Army’s newest data literacy course?  
  2. How can we teach Data Science through Sports Statistics? 
  3. What are self-development tips for building data literacy? 

This episode takes you behind the scenes to understand the inspiration and development of the Army’s newest data literacy course. The Center for Data Analysis and Statistics, under the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy, recently organized the five-day course titled “Data Literacy 101, Train the Educator.” You can learn more about the recent course and the impact it had on the over 100 leaders at https://www.army.mil/article/268812/west_point_center_for_data_analysis_and_statistics_hosts_data_literacy_training_event_for_army_leaders. Interested in learning how to host courses for your organization? Sign up for West Point’s “Train the Educator” course today at: https://talent.army.mil/data/.

COL Clark also discusses his recent National Science Foundation award of $130,000, which supports his research team’s innovative approach to teaching Data Science through sports statistics, which you can learn more about here: https://www.army.mil/article/264110/west_point_among_recipients_of_nsf_award_to_explore_data_science_education_through_sports_analytics.

Join Reeves each month as he takes you behind the scenes to explore the applied research and cross-disciplinary work being done by the Academy’s scholars. From high-energy lasers and autonomous robots to civil-military relations and ethics, “Inside West Point” goes beyond the textbook to give you a deeper understanding of the complex issues shaping the modern battlefield. Hear directly from the experts as they make even the most complex topics accessible to a broad audience.

You can find the Inside West Point: Ideas that Impact podcast, as well as several other podcasts produced by West Point at https://westpointpress.com/podcasts or on your favorite podcast platform, including Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify and Podchaser (Inside West Point: Ideas that Impact). You can also follow on Instagram (@dean.usma), Facebook (Dean of the Academic Board-West Point), Threads (@dean.usma) and X (@DeanUSMA) for updates.

Learn more about the West Point Academic Program at https://www.westpoint.edu/academics.